I know that only one virus checker advised, but is 2 possible without problems?

I have been using Grisoft AVG 7.0 Professional for some time now. I am not unhappy with it and have paid for virus definition updates for a few years...

If I were to buy NOD32, I was wondering if maybe the software would clash with AVG. Having read the various test reports (VB100%) the outstanding success of NOD means that it is a product that I would definitely consider acquiring, if there is any way for the two to work together?

Let me put it this way - assuming that the two products would clash is there any one area that could be disabled (say with AVG), that would mean that the two products could work together (albeit with AVG maybe not providing exactly the same level of security as earlier but still being useful).

I believe that there is a time trial version of NOD2.5? If I were to try that I might find that all was ok, only to see immediately after purchasing it that problems might arise at a much later stage! The expertise of some of the people in this forum may be able to answer my queries in advance..

In a nutshell - 2 virus checkers on the same computer is generally not advised, but is there any way that this can happen in such a way that both serve a useful function, with perhaps one playing a more primary role then the other?

My current computer is Pentium3 O/S Windows'98SE. I hope to upgrade soon. If there is a solution to my enquiry should I wait until I change my operating system, before registering and buying the 3 years of definitions?

If I were to register and buy definitions now, then switched to a Pentium4 with Windows XP in a few months, although I would only be using the one computer, would I need to buy a second license?

I must emphasise that this computer I am using now I would NOT be using again. If the answer is yes, that a second license would be needed, then clearly even if there is a solution to my initial question, I would be best to wait until after I upgrade, before buying the 3 years of definitions!

I would suggest you use up the rest of your AVG licence and then make the switch to Nod32, and use the 30 day trial version before buying just incase you dont like it.(my opinion, never used AVG before)

Yes I have noticed in the past that some virus scanners don't like another installed. For some reason it seems to be dependant on which one!

I remember a few years ago that before I installed Mcafee Antivirus, I had to uninstall Symantec first!

Nowadays another factor is that I like whenever possible to install software that is not heavy re memory as my computer is not that fast. I might try the trial version of NOD to see how it goes, based on your comments.

I did visit the NOD forum earlier. In fact this post I originally posted there, but it was moved to here as being the more relevant forum...

Re the free antivirus checker I have already paid for a few years of definitions for AVG. It is just that the antivirus software NOD32 seems to be way ahead of the other re the VB100% tests, and the one I would certainly consider buying...

avast! nad NOD32 work great together. Just make sure onyl one of them is using HTTP scanning. Everything else will be just fine,because i have thoroughly tested both together. You'll also have to exclude %TEMP%\_avast4_ folder in NOD32 AMON if you'll gonna use avast! Web Shield instead of NOD32 IMON HTTP scanner.

Not being technical in any way I find forums like this to be most helpful. Re the AV100% tests I couldn't tell the difference between one and another.
I was tending to judge just by comparing which had the highest success rate re passing the tests, which may well not be the ideal way to judge?

I am unsure with AVG, if resident scanning can be disabled or not and how to do so. Again someone with technical knowledge would know. Without question if I bought NOD I would want it as my main online scanner, although I would have to find out how to stop the other one from scanning online at the same time, without uninstalling it!.......Howard

If you want best possible protection,then try NOD32 with Kaspersky Antivirus.
First one provides excelent heuristics,while other provides excellent signature and generic detection. I haven't tried them together,but i belive it should work,unless one or another warn you taht they are not compatible.

I tried using NOD as my running av and KAV as an on demand scanner. I kept KAV turned off. My system slowed to a crawl. I had to remove KAV. I know that some people have them together but it didn't work for me.

Nod 32 using heuristics might be an idea, if other options fail! Well worth bearing in mind!...

My big worry is running two programs at the same time could be a massive memory drain. Currently AVG is not heavy at all. From what I read NOD is meant to be excellent re the low amount of memory used. I am hoping that
the two might be ok together?.....Howard

If you want best possible protection,then try NOD32 with Kaspersky Antivirus. First one provides excelent heuristics,while other provides excellent signature and generic detection. I haven't tried them together,but i belive it should work,unless one or another warn you taht they are not compatible.

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I can totally agree on this, i run this for quitte a while now,
and of all the virusscanners i have tested this combination seems to be the best AV protection. (near my personal experience/others may have diff.)
But only use KAV for on-demand in the combination.
Then it will not slow down your system at normal use.

Another combination i have installed for some of my customers
(because they asked for that). is SOPHOS and Kaspersky on-demand.
This is also a very good combination but SOPHOS id of course the most expensive AV there is out there (but with excellent support for companies that need that).
If you need (fast) information regarding a certain virus,
i like SOPHOS support best. (again my personal opinion).

There are other options wich you can do as well,
you can make your system multi-boot with a 2nd OS voor your 2nd virusscanner. This way i test virusscanners/spyware scanners to see the difference.

Another thing you can do, is create a network with 2 or more pc
(even with one crosscable) and share the drive you want to scan on-demand
and scan this SAHRE with (the) another computer to test the ON-demand part.

But regarding AVG,if you tried NOD32 i don't thbik you miss it.

And of course you can temporary de-install AVG test with NOD32
and later re-install it.

This doesn't take so long, it is NOT as if you have to de-install
Norton or Mcafee completely

The last years i've tested a lot of virusscanners (for my job)
and i am conviced that NOD32 is the best AV regarding the performance
impact on your system. It doesn't slow down your system the way others do.

SOPHOS, has it's own Genotype™ technology to catch new virus variants by protecting against families of viruses before specific detection is available.

Which is hyperfast with little resource impact as well, but again is very expensive!

Does Kav on demand mean buying the right from Kaspersky to do online scans for a fixed period of time, for a set price, or am I thinking of something different?

In the past, I found that I had real problems with a few programs after uninstalling using Add/Remove, in that loads of items were left in the registry! Now I never have that problem since using "TotalUninstall3" that takes images of the system before install, during install and after install, so that I can uninstall cleanly everytime if needed!............Howard

My own feelings on this is that if you had NOD32, a free scanner probably wouldn't offer you much additional protection, not enough to be worth the extra resources. If one is going to pick up more than the other, it will most likely be a trojan, for which a specialized anti-trojan would do a much better job. An anti-trojan will give you the advantage of a slightly different type of technology that is meant to extend the capability of your resident scanning (making up for common weaknesses in any AV), giving you better memory scanning and a wider scope of detection. So my vote would be to go with NOD32 and an anti-trojan like Ewido, you'll have a fantastic set of scanners without having to worry about compatibility or performance loss. If you still want another AV for on-demand, you might check out the BitDefender free version.

CureIt looks good but the thing is in a way I am only thinking of the one extra virus checker at the moment , as I have paid for AVG definitions for 2 years!

There would be no advantage in getting a free anti virus checker unless my definitions had expired. What is possible is that if I buy NOD now that at a later stage I might well consider a freeware anti virus checker as backup!...

I wonder can any of you answer my question re if I buy NOD now then change computer, will I need to buy a second license? If I buy another computer Pentium4 with windowsXP, I won't be using this one again!...

I have 3 anti trojans detectors - TDS3 which I have just bought, + BOClean and Trojan Hunter that I bought a time ago. I find that they are excellent. None of them seem to clash with each other so far..

CureIt looks good but the thing is in a way I am only thinking of the one extra virus checker at the moment , as I have paid for AVG definitions for 2 years!

There would be no advantage in getting a free anti virus checker unless my definitions had expired. What is possible is that if I buy NOD now that at a later stage I might well consider a freeware anti virus checker as backup!...

I wonder can any of you answer my question re if I buy NOD now then change computer, will I need to buy a second license? If I buy another computer Pentium4 with windowsXP, I won't be using this one again!...

I have 3 anti trojans detectors - TDS3 which I have just bought, + BOClean and Trojan Hunter that I bought a time ago. I find that they are excellent. None of them seem to clash with each other so far..

....Howard

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In that case why don't you just stay with the combination of AVG & BOClean, it should be a potent combo with little system impact and use TDS-3 & CureIt for on-demand backup, or are you just itching to spend.

I feel that 2 anti virus software products would be more then adequate (NOD, +AVG) with NOD as the primary one if possible...

Re freeware virus checkers there seems to be a very big choice currently. I would need to read more about all of them to see the advantages or disadvantages of each one!

Re Trojan detectors I bought 3. All seem to use totally different methods of detection (BOC,TrojanHunter,TDS-3). I like them all...

Re spyware detectors I like Webroot Spy Sweeper - my main one + Spybot Search and Destroy, and Lavasoft Ad-aware SE...
I also have Spyware Blaster which I like. The Microsoft product seems very good, but I think it may be again for WindowsXP etc. The program HijackThis is good to have also!...

Sadly as I have Windows'98SE I can't buy Process Guard at the moment which seems excellent, or RegDefend, which seems good also!

I do buy a lot of security software! I don't think the prices charged are high at all for what you get. Not having the software could cost me vastly more if my computer was to get infected!!!

Believe me i do understand, i also have a very healthy security-related suite of programs, i would in fact be too embarrassed to reveal just how many of each catagory , i think you perhaps misunderstand, CureIt is an anti-virus and a very good one, it's detection is better than AVG, it's free, you will have to update manually though.

It's important to combine two that will compliment eachother, for example running Nod as real-time with AVG as on-demand would be a waste of time, AVG will most likely not find anything that nod (better detection) + one of your AT's & Spy Sweeper have already taken care of.

Whereas running AVG (considering you have two years left) with CureIt as on-demand, BOClean (does worms ITW too) and Spy Sweeper would save you money, & give you a very good protection and in addition to this you can always use some of the free online scanners, all updated everyday (most several times daily), there are btw some in my signature.

Re the free online virus scans I tried out 3:-
McAfee, Trend Micro, and the more recent beta Kaspersky one...

I found the new Trend Micro one using Java to be lightning fast compared to the other two. The Kaspersky scan I found to be very slow. Having said that it may well be the best to use, or the most detailed one - that I don't know!..

It would be unfair to criticise any of them as they are all free!
I also don't know just how detailed the scans were, so although one might be a lot faster then the others, it doesn't mean that it is necessarily better.

Re Webroot Spysweeper(shareware) when my definition time expires it will cost me to renew, but because it is excellent re the detection rate, I will definitely do so when I have to...

Re the free virus scanners, without question cureit is definitely worth a look. From what I can see Dr.Web was not that far behind NOD re VB100% results. The other two freeware scanners that I have also been considering are AVAST and AGNITUM. Both seem to be quite good.

My problem is that I find it very hard to get objective comparative reviews not just for antivirus products, but for most software, especially from download sites, or where there is commercial interest involved!

It is just finding the freeware that will benefit me most. Obviously all have limitations compared to their shareware versions, for obvious reasons - Some maybe less then others! Manual updating is not something that I would worry about, as it only takes a very short time to do.

Just having had a quick look at the DrWeb page, there seems to be updates weekly and daily for cureit that can be manually downloaded. One other factor that I might need to consider is the ability to be able to scan inside archives etc. I find that this can be very useful at times.........Howard